Tango Hints & Tips
Shoes
The only "kit" you really need for Tango!
Good shoes will improve your technique, ensure good support, encourge correct posture and balance, help you enjoy your dancing more and protect you and your Partner from injury. This is just as important for the Men as for the Ladies.
Go for lightweight, classic dance shoes, which are flexible and give you a good sense of feel through to the floor. You should feel well grounded and with a good sense of balance. Check out your side to side balance at the heel, the ball of the foot and the toe. Do this with both feet.
The best shoes for Tango in our view usually have suede soles, enabling you to slide on the floor and pivot effortlessly. Try pivoting on the ball of each foot on a wooden or lino floor. If your shoes stick or grip the floor, this resistance will strain your knees in the long run. “Grippy” rubber soles and trainers are therefore totally unsuitable.
Your feet should not be at all loose in your shoes – your foot and your shoe should move as one. Loose fitting slip-ons and sandals will not give you sufficient support. Avoid pointed fashion shoes where there is a big gap between the toes and the front of the shoe - the excess length will get in the way. Men’s everyday shoes are too heavy and give very little 'feel'. It is all too easy for" clumpy" men's shoes to cause injury to Partner's toes - especially in the early days when you're not even sure where her feet are! Avoid any shoe where the sole extends beyond the main shoe forming a platform. Even lightweight everyday shoes are not dance shoes - you need to be able to feel the floor or your Partner's feet, and outdoor shoes are designed to do the opposite.
Ladies usually go for high heels but this is not essential. With high heels it is important that your heel does not lift inside the shoe when you walk or rise up onto tip-toe. Ideally the shoe should have a strap around the ankle or across the arch of the foot, or both. This will ensure the foot is retained inside the shoe.
We would advise against buying shoes for dancing from a conventional shoe shop. If in doubt please ask us for advice before buying– we will be delighted to help and it’s really important not to waste your money on shoes that are not suitable.
Local Dance Shoe Shops we know and can recommend:
Wear 2 Dance
7a Lavant Street
Petersfield
Hants GU32 3EL
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